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Faculty of Music

QuartetFest will feature an international lineup of musicians

Communications, Public Affairs & Marketing

May 19/05| For Immediate Release

WATERLOO – Wilfrid Laurier University is offering local chamber-music lovers a rare opportunity to enjoy several concerts featuring talented international performers. QuartetFest, an annual concert series, this year runs from May 24 to June 12.

The intensive chamber music workshop and festival will feature performances from one of Spain’s leading chamber ensembles, Trio Arbós. Laurier’s own international quartet-in-residence, The Penderecki String Quartet, will perform in two faculty concerts, one with special guest pianist Anya Alexeyev and the other with violist Atar Arad.

“We are expecting an incredibly high quality of performance from this group of QuartetFest participants,” said Jerzy Kaplanek, violinist with the Penderecki. “We are thrilled that these accomplished musicians will share the same stage with young, dynamic performers during the festival.”

Trio Arbós, in collaboration with local music society NUMUS, will kick off a Friday faculty series of concerts on May 27 with works by Spanish composers. Trio Arbós is the ensemble-in-residence at the Motril Summer Music Course in Granada, Spain. Its repertoire ranges from the classical and romantic complete-trio works by Mozart, Schubert, Mendelssohn, Schumann and others to contemporary pieces. Specially commissioned works form a significant part of Arbós’ concert programs.

The Penderecki Quartet will perform two concerts, the first with Alexeyev on June 3 and the second with Arad on June 10. Alexeyev was born in Moscow into a family of concert pianists and was later awarded a scholarship to study at the Royal College of Music in London. In 1995, she performed the world premiere of Paul McCartney’s piano solo piece, A Leaf, at the St. James’s Palace in London before Charles, the Prince of Wales.

Arad began his early musical education in his birthplace, Tel Aviv. A member of the Cleveland Quartet for seven years, he has appeared as a regular guest violist at several music festivals. He currently teaches at Bloomington campus of Indiana University and at the Stearns Institute (Ravinia Festival) in Chicago.

The Penderecki’s recent performances include the Hong Kong Academy for the Performing Arts, Italy’s Vivaldi Conservatory and the Galleria d’arte Moderna e Contemporanea, as well as an 11-city tour of China. Now in its 12th year as Laurier’s quartet-in-residence, the Penderecki spends much of its time on QuartetFest.

All faculty concerts will be held in Laurier’s Maureen Forrester Recital Hall and begin at 8 p.m. Another series of concerts, this one featuring young artists attending QuartetFest, will begin at 3 p.m. on June 4, 5, 11 and 12 in the recital hall.

QuartetFest is a non-profit event that combines concerts for lovers of chamber music and masterclasses for advanced students and young professional quartets. Now in its 13th year, QuartetFest helps young musicians from across the continent refine their talents and gives the public an opportunity to hear world-class musicians perform in an intimate setting.

Ticket prices for the concerts are as follows:• Faculty concerts: $25 general admission, $20 for seniors and $15 for students• Young-artist concerts: $10 general admission, $5 for seniors and students• QuartetFest 2005 Pass to all concerts: $50, $35 for seniors and students